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of considerable impact to area banking circles was the death in Deerfield Jan. 1 of William Scott Keith, who had also been president of two local manu facturing concerns and director of a third. Heads of two local banks this week expressed their sorrow at the death of their former as sociate and noted his long and helpful influence on the com munity at large. “Very few people of the area know of the guiding influence that Mr. Keith contributed to the growth of Greenfield Savings Bank over the past 33 years,”’ Pres. Sidney W. Parsons com mented. “Mr. Keith was elected a corporator on Dec. 9, 1935; a trustee Dec. 12, 1936; a member of the board of investment on June 12, 1943; president from 1948 to 1965; and chairman of the board of trustees from 1965 to the date of his death. “He devoted a great deal of his time..and thought on ideas to better improve the service of the Greenfield Savings Bank for the benefit of its area customers. He was an astute investment man, always thinking in terms of the highest return consistent with safety of depositors* funds. “During the past 20 years that I served under Mr. Keith, first as- —treasurer,---then--as~-vice president and treasurer, and as president since 1965, I found Mr. Keith to be one of the most knowledgeable, understanding and sympathetic men that I have ever known.’’ Members of the Keith family have been associated with Frank lin County Trust Co. more than 100 years, Board Chairman Her bert W.Erickson commented: He noted that resolutions on Mr. Keith’s death are being prepared for the bank’s annual meeting later this month. “Back in 1870 and 1871 the third president of this bank was William Keith, and the fifth president was John Keith who served in 1884 and 1885,’’ Erick son said. ‘‘Scott’s uncle, William B. Keith, was president’ from 1925 until his death in September 1926 and his father, Charles H Keith, was vice-president many years.” W. Scott Keith was first elected a director of Franklin County Trust Co. In January 1936 and continued until his death. He served as clerk of the corporation from 1946 to 1968 and was also clerk of the board of directors and clerk of the executive committee. “We feel” his service to the bank was of great value,’’ Chr. Erickson concluded, ‘‘and that through his many outside inter ests he brought to the bank broad wisdom and clear judg ment. This was very helpful in both the bank’s business activi ties and its relationship to the whale community.”
Newspaper Details
Greenfield Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
Thu, Jan 09, 1969
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 23 Sep 2026
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